Spotlight control systems and methods, and spotlights employing the same

ABSTRACT

A spotlight system including a spotlight continuously rotatable about a spotlight pan axis and tiltable about a spotlight tilt axis. The system includes a spotlight controller including a housing continuously rotatable about a controller pan axis. The housing has a circumferential lip that engages with a fixed based and a hub engaged with a handle. The handle rotates about a controller tilt axis perpendicular to the controller pan axis. A controller board is electrically connected to a slip ring that penetrates the base, with a pan input sensor, a tilt input sensor, and a microprocessor. The pan input sensor measures the position of the housing relative to the base, the tilt input sensor measures the position of the handle relative to the housing, and the microcontroller interprets the positions and generates control signals corresponding to the direction of a spotlight.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to spotlights for vehicles and other applications,and more specifically to a systems and methods for controllingspotlights and spotlights and controllers employing the same.

BACKGROUND

Many emergency vehicles are equipped with lights that projectillumination in a fixed direction, for example, forward of the vehicle,or to the sides of the vehicle. For greatest effectiveness, it ishelpful for the first responder to have a source of illumination, suchas a spotlight that can be moved to direct light in a desired direction.To be effective, the spotlight must be movable over a wide range oftrajectories about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis.

In the past, police and other emergency vehicles have been equipped withspotlights that are directed by means of a mechanism that is installedthrough a hole in the “A” pillar, a structural member of the vehicle infront of the driver's door and at the left edge of the windshield.Another “A” pillar is located in front of the passenger door at theright edge of the windshield. In older model vehicles, the “A” pillarwas a relatively large member formed from mild steel. The required holewas formed using a drill, and the effect on the structural integrity ofthe “A” pillar was not a large concern.

FIGS. 1-3 represent the functionality of a prior art mechanical controlfor a spotlight 2. The mechanism to control the spotlight employs anL-shaped handle on the inside of the vehicle. Mechanical force istransmitted from the L-shaped handle mechanism to the spotlight 2 by twoconcentric shafts 3, 4 that pass through an opening in the “A” pillar.The outer shaft 3 is coupled to the entire handle mechanism, while theinner shaft 4 is coupled to the grip portion 5 only. Application oflateral forces to the grip 5 rotates the entire handle, outer shaft 3and inner shaft 4, which moves the spotlight 2 over an arc 6 as shown inFIG. 1. The inner shaft 4 is coupled to the grip 5 and to the spotlight2 by beveled gears so that rotation of the grip 5 about its own axisapplies rotational force to the inner shaft 4 and rotates the spotlight2 about an axis parallel with the grip axis.

When the spotlight 2 is in a vertical orientation, rotation of the grip5 applies rotational forces to the spotlight 2 to direct the beamlaterally (left-right) in a generally horizontal plane about a verticalaxis A. This movement may be referred to as “panning” the spotlight. Inthe prior art mechanical control, an up-down, or “tilt” movement of thespotlight 2 is not possible when the spotlight 2 is in a verticalorientation, which corresponds to the grip 5 being in a verticalorientation (pointing downward inside the vehicle). Moving the grip 5laterally applies rotational force to the outer shaft, which moves thespotlight 2 along arc 6 from the vertical position to left and righthorizontal positions shown in FIG. 1. In either horizontal position ofthe handle and spotlight 2, rotation of the grip 5 about its own axisrotates the spotlight 2 about a horizontal axis B in an up-down or“tilt” direction. Rotation of the grip 5 when the spotlight 2 and grip 5are in a vertical orientation results in a left-right (pan) movement ofthe spotlight 2, while rotation of the grip 5 when the spotlight 2 andgrip 5 are in a horizontal orientation results in an up-down “tilt”movement of the spotlight 2.

A combination of lateral and rotational forces applied to the grip 5allows the user to direct the spotlight 2 in a broad range of directionsrelative to the vehicle. This control mechanism is a non-intuitive, butserviceable user interface in which the “pan” and “tilt” axes movementof the spotlight are interdependent. This results in a complexmathematical relationship between the direction of the spotlight andmovements of the two shafts to produce an intended direction of thespotlight. Personnel operating the mechanical spotlights have learnedhow to apply rotational movements to the two rotational axes of thecontrol mechanism to obtain the desired spotlight direction, but themovements are not at all intuitive.

The mathematical relationship between the direction of the spotlight andthe position of the inner and outer shafts of the control mechanism canbe described as follows:

$\begin{matrix}\begin{matrix}{LAMP} & {A_{z} = {{AZIMUTH}\mspace{14mu}{ANGLE}}} \\\; & {E_{L} = {{ELEVATION}\mspace{14mu}{ANGLE}}} \\{HANDLE} & {{INNER} = {{INNER}\mspace{14mu}{SHAFT}\mspace{14mu}{ANGLE}}} \\\; & {{OUTER} = {{OUTER}\mspace{14mu}{SHAFT}\mspace{14mu}{ANGLE}}}\end{matrix} & \; \\{A_{Z} = {{INNER} \cdot {{COS}({OUTER})}}} & 1 \\{E_{L} = {{INNER} \cdot {{SIN}({OUTER})}}} & 2 \\{{OUTER} = {{TAN}^{- 1}\left( \frac{EL}{Az} \right)}} & 3 \\{{INNER} = {{\frac{EL}{{COS}({OUTER})}\mspace{14mu}{if}\mspace{14mu}{outer}}\; < \; > \;{90,270}}} & 4 \\{or} & \; \\{{INNER} = {{\frac{Az}{{SIN}\;({OUTER})}\mspace{14mu}{if}\mspace{14mu}{outer}}\; < \; > {0,180}}} & 5\end{matrix}$Equations 1 and 2 define the relationship between the handle and lightwhen the light is driven by the handle from inside the vehicle (normaloperation). Equations 3, 4 and 5 define the relationship between thehandle and light when the handle is driven by the light (the light isgrasped and moved directly from outside the vehicle).

In this control configuration, the up-down “tilt” movement of the lightgenerated by rotation of the inner shaft is dependent upon therotational position of the outer shaft, as shown in equations 4 and 5above and FIG. 1. While this prior art control mechanism was effectivefor many years, changes in vehicle design and increased emphasis onvehicle safety are driving the need for new spotlight control devicesand methods.

Vehicles are now being manufactured with structural members formed oftougher materials, such as alloy steels that make drilling a hole verydifficult. Further, the A-pillar structural member has become smaller incross section and manufacturers are wary of allowing third parties tomake holes in functional parts of the vehicle safety cage.

There is a need for a spotlight control mechanism that does not requireforming a hole in a vehicle structural member. There is also a need fora spotlight control mechanism that resembles the look and feel of thetraditional mechanical control mechanism, so police and other firstresponders will intuitively know how to direct the spotlight. There isalso a need for a spotlight control mechanism that improves over thetraditional mechanical control mechanism.

SUMMARY

A spotlight control system according to the disclosure includes acontrol assembly located inside the emergency vehicle that is convenientto the vehicle operator. A spotlight assembly responsive to the controlassembly is mounted to the exterior of the emergency vehicle in alocation that minimizes obstruction of the view of the vehicle operator.For example, the spotlight assembly may be mounted to the vehicle at thejunction of the fender and hood in front of the “A” pillar or may bemounted to the roof of the vehicle. The spotlight assembly may bemounted to the top or outside surface of the fender to align thespotlight assembly with the “A” pillar from the perspective of thevehicle operator. The control assembly communicates with the spotlightassembly electronically, through a wired or wireless connection.

According to aspects of the disclosure, one embodiment of the controlassembly is configured to replicate the look and feel of the L-shapedmechanism that has been used for many years. The handle and grip of adisclosed L-shaped user interface are connected to concentric shaftssupported by a control assembly housing. Sensors are arranged in thecontrol assembly to detect rotation of the shafts and generatecorresponding spotlight control signals. Programmable microcontrollersin the control assembly and spotlight execute program code to convertmovement of the shafts into spotlight control signals directing thespotlight assembly. The relationship between rotation of the shafts andspotlight direction is governed by the program code executed in thecontrol assembly and spotlight assembly microcontrollers. Themicrocontrollers can be programmed to duplicate the complex mathematicalrelationship of shaft position to spotlight direction described above ormay be simplified to relate the position of each shaft with onespotlight axis of movement.

The relationship between manipulation of the control interface andmovement of the spotlight will be referred to in this application as a“transfer function.” The disclosed control assemblies and spotlightassemblies include microcontrollers with memory and processors thatexecute program instructions. The program instructions executed in thecontrol assembly and spotlight assembly can be written to “transfer”movements at the control assembly into movement at the spotlight toproduce any desired relationship between movement at the controlassembly and the direction of the spotlight assembly. Many police, fireand other first responder personnel are familiar with the widely used“L” shaped mechanical spotlight control mechanism and will presumably beable to quickly learn to use a control mechanism that duplicates thelook, feel and function of the mechanical control mechanism. The controlassembly may include one or more electric motors connected to theconcentric shafts. In an unpowered (off) state, the electric motors maybe used to provide drag or mimic the feel of a mechanically controlledspotlight. The electric motors may also be used to bring the userinterface back to a “home” position, so the operator always begins withthe user interface at the same position. Gears of different diameter maybe employed to amplify or reduce the amount of movement at the userinterface relative to movement of the internal components detected bysensors. This strategy can be used to modify the ergonomics of the userinterface relative to the movement produced at the spotlight assembly.The transfer function may also be used to alter the relationship betweenmovements at the control assembly and movement of the spotlight.

The terms “signal” and “signals” are used interchangeably in thisapplication. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that a“signal” may include multiple distinct components or pieces ofinformation, which could alternatively be generated and transmitted asdiscrete “signals.” For example, a spotlight control signal may includean azimuth angle A_(Z) and an elevation angle E_(L) in a combined signalor the azimuth angle A_(Z) and an elevation angle E_(L) could be sentseparately and characterized as “spotlight control signals.” A “signal”as used in this application is not limited to communicating any singlepiece of information and may include multiple pieces of information.“Signals” do not require more than one piece of information or more thanone interaction between sender and receiver, since the relevantinformation may be conveyed in a single transmission.

A wired or wireless connection between a control assembly and one ormore spotlights may be implemented according to any known communicationprotocol. Communication protocols using a wired connection includecontroller area network (CAN), CANopen and DeviceNet. Wirelesscommunication protocols include WiFi and Bluetooth. Modified orproprietary communication protocols may also be employed to establishand maintain communications between devices discussed in thisapplication.

The spotlight control signals are received by the spotlight assembly,and a spotlight microcontroller uses the control signals to energizemotors in the spotlight assembly to move the spotlight about a first(tilt) axis and a second (pan) axis perpendicular to the first (tilt)axis, directing a light beam from the spotlight assembly in the intendeddirection, e.g., a direction corresponding to the movements at the userinterface translated according to the programmed transfer function. Thespotlight assembly may be mounted to a surface or support that is nothorizontal, with the result that the first and second axes of thespotlight assembly movement are not horizontal and vertical,respectively. The programmable transfer function can include acorrection factor to account for the mounted position of the spotlightassembly. Sensors in the spotlight assembly detect the position of thespotlight in the up-down (tilt) direction and in the left-right (pan)direction and provide spotlight position signals to the spotlightmicrocontroller and/or control assembly microcontroller. The spotlightassembly may be configured to return to a “home” position when thespotlight is turned off. The “home” position of the spotlight maycorrespond to a “home” position for the user interface.

In another embodiment, the control interface is configured to provide amore intuitive relationship between movements of the control interfaceand the direction of the spotlight. The alternative control interfaceincludes a housing or body that rotates relative to a fixed base, and ahandle that pivots relative to the housing. Movement of the housingrelative to the base corresponds to the “pan,” or left-right movement ofthe spotlight about a vertical axis, while pivoting of the handlerelative to the housing corresponds to the “tilt,” or up-down movementof the spotlight about a horizontal axis. This embodiment of a controlinterface should be easy for an operator to learn how to use, sincemovement of the control interface components correspond closely to thedesired movement of the spotlight. The housing supports a controller PCboard and the components necessary to sense movement of the housing andhandle and translate those sensed movements into control signals for thespotlight. In one embodiment, a slip ring maintains continuity betweenconductors in the fixed base and the moveable housing. Movement sensorsmay be of any known type such as a rheostat or sensors that detectmovement of a magnet.

The spotlight assembly includes a directional light source. Thedirectional light source may include one or more beam-forming lightgenerators. The beam may have a fixed beam shape or may have a beamshape that can be varied from a focused “spot” beam to a less focused“flood” pattern. Distant objects are better illuminated with a spot beamshape, while closer objects may be better lit by a wider beam.

According to aspects of the disclosure, movement of the spotlight may beproportional to movement at the control interface. As the user moves thecontrol interface, the spotlight is moved to a position corresponding tothe position of the control interface as dictated by the programmedtransfer function. The spotlight and user interface remain in theircorresponding positions until the user interface or spotlight are moved.Such a control scheme may be described as “proportional servo control.”Proportional servo control can be contrasted with systems that move thespotlight along each axis of movement so long as a contact is closed, asin systems employing a joystick-type control interface. The joystickalways returns to a neutral position, while the spotlight remains in thelast selected position. In other words, there is no specificrelationship between the position of the user interface and thedirection of the spotlight. Proportional servo control is more like a“fly by wire” control scheme, as used in modern aircraft that employposition sensors and real-time communication between the controlinterface and device being controlled.

A vehicle may be equipped with more than one spotlight assemblies, withone or both spotlight assemblies being directed by control signalsgenerated by the user interface. The second spotlight assembly has aknown position relative to the first spotlight assembly and may bedirected by control signals modified according to a transfer functionthat accounts for the difference in position between the two spotlightassemblies so that the light beams generated by the two spotlightassemblies are directed at the same target (point in space).

The relationship between the control interface and the spotlightassembly may be bi-directional where movement of either the controlinterface or the spotlight results in a corresponding movement of theother, or one-way, with the spotlight responding to control inputs atthe user interface. In a one-way control system, the control assemblymay be passive, having no motors. In such an embodiment, the controlinterface may be constructed to stay in a selected position until movedby the user. Friction can be intentionally generated at the userinterface to resist movement when the user is not applying force, sothat the user interface and spotlight will remain aligned and in auser-selected position. The spotlight may include clutches to protectthe motors and drive train. The clutches are configured to slip whenforce is applied directly to the spotlight in a manner that could damagethe drive mechanism. The spotlight is configured to accurately detectthe position of the spotlight components relative to each other eventhough relative movement is permitted by the clutches.

According to aspects of the disclosure, one embodiment of a spotlightsystem includes a control assembly and a spotlight assembly. The controlassembly includes a base unit rotatable about a control pan axis, acontrol handle connected to the base unit and rotatable about a controltilt axis substantially perpendicular to the control pan axis, a baseunit position sensor to generate a control pan axis position signalbased on rotation of the base unit, and a control handle position sensorto generate a control tilt axis position signal based on rotation of thecontrol handle. The control assembly also includes a processor forreceiving the control pan axis position signal and the control tilt axisposition signal. The spotlight assembly includes a spotlight supportrotatable about a spotlight pan axis, a housing including a light, thehousing connected to the spotlight support and rotatable with respect tothe spotlight support about a spotlight tilt axis substantiallyperpendicular to the spotlight pan axis, a pan motor for receiving fromthe processor a voltage signal based on the control pan axis positionsignal and rotating the spotlight assembly about the spotlight pan axis,and a tilt motor for receiving from the processor a voltage signal basedon the control tilt axis position signal and rotating the housing aboutthe spotlight tilt axis.

The spotlight system may include at least one error correction circuit.The at least one error correction circuit receives an actual pan axisposition signal representing the position of the spotlight assembly onthe pan axis, compares the actual pan axis position signal with therequested pan axis position signal, generates an error signal based onthe comparison of the actual pan axis position signal with the requestedpan axis position signal, and provides a voltage to a pan axis motoruntil the error signal is within a predetermined range. The at least oneerror correction circuit may also receive an actual tilt axis positionsignal representing the position of the housing on the tilt axis,compare the actual tilt axis position signal with the requested tiltaxis position signal, generate an error signal based on the comparisonof the actual tilt axis position signal with the requested tilt axisposition signal, and provide a voltage to a tilt axis motor until theerror signal is within a predetermined range.

In some embodiments, the spotlight system includes a control panelincluded the control assembly rotatably mounted thereon and at least onecontrol button. In some embodiments, the spotlight system includes afixed base receiving the spotlight support, a first clutch between thespotlight support and the pan motor, the first clutch permitting thespotlight support to rotate relative to the fixed base independently ofthe pan motor, and a second clutch between the housing and the tiltmotor, the second clutch allowing the housing to rotate relative to thespotlight support independently of the tilt motor. In some embodiments,the pan motor and the tilt motor receive voltage signals wirelessly fromthe processor. In other embodiments, voltage signals are sent by a wiredconnection.

According to aspects of the disclosure, one embodiment of a spotlightcontroller includes a housing having a hub defining a first controlaxis, a fixed base configured to mate with the housing, the housingrotatable 360° relative to the base about a second control axisperpendicular to the first control axis, a handle configured to engagethe hub and pivot about the first control axis, a housing sensorarranged to detect the position of the housing relative to the base andgenerate a housing position signal, a handle sensor arranged to detectthe position of the handle relative to the housing and generate a handleposition signal, and a controller PC board mounted to and rotating withthe housing, the controller PC board including a microcontrolleroperatively connected to the housing sensor and the handle sensor. Themicrocontroller receives the housing position signal and the handleposition signal and generates spotlight control signals based on thehousing position signal and the handle position signal.

In some embodiments, the microcontroller is programmed to generatespotlight control signals for a plurality of spotlights. In someembodiments, the housing includes a lip and the base includes aplurality of tongues that mate with the lip to retain the housing to thebase. In some embodiments, the housing sensor and the handle sensor aremounted to the controller PC board. In some embodiments, the spotlightcontroller has a slip ring including a fixed part with a first pluralityof conductors secured to the base, and a moving part including a secondplurality of conductors mounted to the controller PC board, wherein themoving part and the second plurality of conductors rotate with thehousing and controller PC board, with the slip ring maintainingelectrical continuity between the first plurality of conductors and thesecond plurality of conductors during movement of the housing relativeto the base. The lip may project radially away from a periphery of thehousing and the plurality of tongues project radially inwardly over thelip to prevent axial movement of the housing away from the base, whilepermitting rotation of the housing relative to the base.

In some embodiments, the housing includes a circular lip and the baseincludes a plurality of tongues and arcuate wall segments that define acircle surrounding the lip, the tongues mate with the lip to retain thehousing to the base. In some embodiments, the housing is generallycircular, the handle and hub are arranged on a diameter dividing thehousing into a front and a rear, the handle and housing being visuallysimilar when viewed from the front or the rear, the controllercomprising a visual indicator to distinguish the front of the housingfrom a rear of the housing. The visual indicator may be a light pipepenetrating the housing to conduct light from an LED within the housingto an exterior of the housing. The spotlight controller may also have aplurality of LEDs of different colors or a single LED capable ofgenerating light of at least two different colors arranged to emit lightinto the light pipe.

According to aspects of the disclosure, one embodiment of a spotlightincludes a base defining a first spotlight axis, a support mounted tothe base for rotation about the first spotlight axis, a support motormounted to the support and configured to rotate the support about thefirst spotlight axis, a yoke mounted to the support for rotation about asecond spotlight axis perpendicular to the first spotlight axis, a yokemotor mounted to the support and configured to rotate the yoke about thesecond spotlight axis, a support sensor arranged to detect a position ofthe support and generate a support position signal, a yoke sensorarranged to detect a position of the yoke and generate a yoke positionsignal, and a microcontroller operatively connected to the supportsensor, the support motor, the yoke sensor and the yoke motor, themicrocontroller responsive to a spotlight control signal including anazimuth angle AZ and an elevation angle EL, the microcontrollerprogrammed to apply power to the support motor until the supportposition signal corresponds to the azimuth angle AZ and to apply powerto the yoke motor until the yoke position signal corresponds to theelevation angle EL.

In some embodiments, the spotlight has a support clutch between thesupport and the support motor, the support clutch permitting the supportto rotate relative to the base independently of the support motor, and ayoke clutch between the yoke and the yoke motor, the yoke clutchallowing the yoke to rotate relative to the support independently of theyoke motor. In some embodiments, the support sensor detects movement ofthe support relative to the base when the support is movingindependently of the support motor and the yoke sensor detects movementof the yoke relative to the support when the yoke is movingindependently of the yoke motor. In some embodiments, the support motoris coupled to the support by a clutch, the support sensor is directlycoupled to the support, the yoke motor is coupled to the yoke by aclutch and the yoke sensor is directly coupled to the yoke.

According to aspects of the disclosure, one embodiment of a spotlightcontrol method includes steps of providing a control assembly havingbase unit and a control handle connected to the base unit, the base unitrotatable about a first axis and the control handle rotatable about asecond axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, providing aspotlight assembly having a spotlight rotatable about a pan axis and atilt axis substantially perpendicular to the pan axis, and generating atleast one of a requested pan axis position signal by rotating the baseunit about the first axis to rotate the spotlight about a pan axis or arequested tilt axis position signal by rotating the control handle aboutthe second axis to rotate the spotlight about a tilt axis.

In some embodiments, the rotation of the base unit about the first axisproportionally rotates the spotlight about a pan axis and rotation ofthe control handle about the second axis proportionally rotates thespotlight about a tilt axis. In some embodiments, the method furtherincludes receiving an actual pan axis position signal representing theposition of the spotlight on the pan axis, comparing the actual pan axisposition signal with the requested pan axis position signal, generatingan error signal based on the comparison of the actual pan axis positionsignal with the requested pan axis position signal, and providing avoltage to a pan axis motor until the error signal is within apredetermined range. In some embodiments, the method further includesreceiving an actual tilt axis position signal representing the positionof the spotlight on the tilt axis, comparing the actual tilt axisposition signal with the requested tilt axis position signal, generatingan error signal based on the comparison of the actual tilt axis positionsignal with the requested tilt axis position signal, and providing avoltage to a tilt axis motor until the error signal is within apredetermined range.

According to aspects of the disclosure, another embodiment of a controlassembly for a spotlight includes a frame, a first shaft connected tothe frame and arranged to rotate relative to the frame, a second shaftconnected to the frame and arranged to rotate relative to the frameindependently of the first shaft, the second shaft surrounded by thefirst shaft, a first sensor supported by the frame and situated todetect a rotational position of the first shaft and generate a firstposition signal, a second sensor supported by the frame and situated todetect a rotational position of the second shaft and generate a secondposition signal, and a microcontroller operatively connected to thefirst and second sensors to receive the first and second positionsignals, the microcontroller configured to employ the first and secondposition signals to produce a spotlight directional control signal,wherein rotation of the first shaft relative to the frame also rotatesthe second shaft, and rotation of the second shaft relative to the framedoes not rotate the first shaft. In some embodiments, the first andsecond shafts are coaxial to a shaft axis, the first shaft having anouter end connected to a handle assembly for rotation therewith, thehandle assembly including a grip rotatable about a grip axisperpendicular to the shaft axis, the second shaft having an outer endcoupled to the grip so that rotation of the grip about the grip axisrotates the second shaft about the shaft axis. In some embodiments, themicrocontroller is programmed to generate spotlight directional controlsignals corresponding to an azimuth angle A_(z) calculated according tothe formula: inner shaft angle×cos (outer shaft angle) and an elevationangle E_(L), calculated according to the formula: inner shaft angle×sin(outer shaft angle). In some embodiments, the frame includes a base andbrackets arranged to support the first and second shafts in a coaxialrelationship relative to a shaft axis, an inner end of the first shaftcoupled to a first gear and an inner end of the second shaft coupled toa second gear coaxial with the first gear, the first gear between thesecond gear and an outer end of the first shaft. In some embodiments,the first gear drives a first magnet ring carrying a first magnet, thefirst sensor arranged to detect the position of the first magnet, thesecond gear drives a second magnet ring carrying a second magnet, thesecond sensor arranged to detect the position of the second magnet. Insome embodiments, the control assembly includes a first motor supportedby the frame and arranged to rotate the first shaft, and a second motorsupported by the frame and arranged to rotate the second shaft, thefirst and second motors operatively connected to the microcontroller andresponsive to the application of power by the microcontroller to drivethe first and second shafts.

The control assembly may be incorporated in a spotlight system, whereinthe control assembly includes a motor supported by the frame andarranged to rotate the first shaft or the second shaft, the spotlightsystem including a spotlight having a light source mounted to a yokepivotable by a yoke motor about a first spotlight axis, the yoke mountedto a support rotatable by a support motor about a second spotlight axis,a yoke sensor arranged to detect a position of the yoke and generate ayoke position signal, a support sensor arranged to detect a position ofthe support and generate a support position signal, and amicrocontroller operatively connected to the yoke sensor, yoke motor,support sensor and support motor, the microcontroller programmed toreceive the yoke position signal and the support position signal and todirect the light source according to the spotlight directional controlsignals by applying power to the yoke motor to rotate the yoke about thefirst spotlight axis and applying power to the support motor to rotatethe support about the second spotlight axis, the microcontrollergenerating a spotlight position signal corresponding to the yokeposition signal and the support position signal, the spotlight positionsignal communicated to the control assembly through a wired or wirelessconnection.

Other objects of the invention and its particular features andadvantages will become more apparent from consideration of the followingdrawings and accompanying detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-3 are illustrations of the functionality of prior art mechanicalspotlight assemblies;

FIG. 4 is a representative schematic block diagram of one embodiment ofa disclosed spotlight control system and spotlight assembly;

FIGS. 5A-5C are illustrations of an embodiment of a disclosed userinterface;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a disclosed controlassembly compatible with the user interface of FIGS. 5A-5C;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a spotlight assembly;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the spotlight assembly of FIG. 7 with aportion of the housing removed for clarity;

FIG. 9 is a representative block diagram of an alternative disclosedspotlight control system and associated spotlight assembly;

FIG. 10 depicts a vehicle that is equipped with two spotlight assembliesaccording to aspects of the disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a front view of another embodiment of a spotlight assembly;

FIG. 12 is a rear sectional view of the spotlight assembly of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a front isometric view of the spotlight assembly of FIG. 11with a portion of the housing removed for clarity;

FIG. 14 is a rear isometric view of the spotlight assembly of FIG. 11with a portion of the housing removed for clarity;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a spotlightcontrol assembly according to aspects of the disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a front sectional view of the spotlight control assembly ofFIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a front perspective view of the spotlight control assembly ofFIG. 15 with the housing removed for clarity;

FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the spotlight controlassembly of FIG. 15;

FIG. 19 is side view of the spotlight control assembly of FIG. 15 withsome components omitted for clarity;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a spotlightcontrol assembly according to aspects of the disclosure;

FIG. 21 is a rear view of the spotlight control assembly shown in FIG.20;

FIG. 22 is a sectional view of the spotlight control assembly shown inFIG. 20;

FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view of the spotlight controlassembly of FIG. 20, taken from below the control assembly;

FIG. 24 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a spotlight controlassembly according to aspects of the disclosure;

FIG. 25 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a spotlight controlassembly according to aspects of the disclosure;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a base compatible with the disclosedcontrol assemblies of FIGS. 15-25;

FIGS. 27-30 are illustrations of an embodiment of a control panel invarious stages of disassembly;

FIG. 31 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a controlpanel; and

FIG. 32 is a control block diagram for the pan and tilt functions of thesystem according to the disclosed embodiment(s).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary spotlight control systems and spotlight assembliesillustrating various aspects of the present disclosure will now bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 4 through 32, wherein like numbersrefer to like parts. Throughout the figures, some features andcomponents of the assembly are omitted for clarity.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a spotlight control system 10, showing thebasic relationships between functional units of a control assembly 20and a spotlight assembly 60. Each of the control assembly 20 andspotlight assembly 60 include a PC board 44, 90 with a programmablemicrocontroller 45, 91 that execute program code stored in memory. Themicrocontrollers 45, 91 are operatively connected internally tocomponents of the respective control assembly 20 and spotlight assembly60 and externally to each other via a wired or wireless connection 54. Awired or wireless connection 54 between the control assembly 20 and thespotlight assembly 60 may be a direct connection, or may pass throughone or more additional electronic assemblies, such as an emergencyvehicle control module (not shown). Any known communication standard maybe used to permit the exchange of information between the controlassembly 20 and spotlight assembly 60.

FIGS. 5A to 5C illustrate a first exemplary user interface 21 configuredto emulate the look and feel of the manual control mechanism employed byprior art, mechanically-directed spotlights. The user interface 21includes a handle 27 rotatable about a first axis 23, and a grip 29extending from the handle 27 and rotatable about a second axis 25. Inthe depicted embodiment, the first axis 23 is perpendicular to thesecond axis 25 to reproduce the configuration of the prior art manualcontrol mechanism. The handle 27 is fixed to an outer shaft 28, whichrotates with the handle 27 about the first axis 23. As shown in FIGS. 5Bto 5C, the grip 29 is attached to a beveled gear 31, which engages abeveled gear 33 fixed to an inner shaft 30. The beveled gears 31, 33translate rotation of the grip 29 about the second axis 25 into rotationof the inner shaft 30 about the first axis 23. The outer shaft 28surrounds the inner shaft 30, and the coaxially arranged outer and innershafts 28, 30 penetrate a user interface housing (not shown), where theouter shaft 28 is connected to gear 32 and inner shaft 30 is connectedto gear 34. Rotation of the handle 27 about first axis 23 rotates gear32 and rotation of the grip about second axis 25 rotates gear 34 insidethe control assembly 20. In a typical installation, the first axis 23 ishorizontal and the second axis 25 is vertical, which duplicates theorientation of the prior art mechanical user interface.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary control assembly 20 with an exteriorhousing, handle 27, and grip 29 omitted for clarity. A base 22 providessupport for the internal components of the control assembly 20. Acontrol assembly PC board 44 is mounted to the base 22. Brackets 24, 26provide structural support for the shafts 28, 30, gears 32, 34, magnetrings 36, 38, and motors 42, 40. The base 22, brackets 24, 26 and otherhardware can be referred to collectively as a frame configured tosupport the components of the control assembly 20. Gear 32 meshes withadjacent gear 35, which is mounted on a shaft 39 along with a magnetring 36 carrying magnet 50. It will be noted that gear 35 has a smallerdiameter and fewer teeth than gear 32, resulting in an overdrive, whichtranslates a given rotation of the outer shaft 30 into a greaterrotation of gear 35, shaft 39 and magnet ring 36. The selection of gears32, 35 allows 360° rotation of the magnet ring 36 by less than 360°rotation of the handle 27 and outer shaft 28 about axis 23. Gear 34meshes with adjacent gear 37, which is mounted on a shaft 41 along witha magnet ring 38 carrying magnet 52. Gears 34 and 37 are the samediameter and have the same number of teeth, providing a 1:1 relationshipbetween rotation of the inner shaft 30 and rotation of the magnet ring38. The control assembly PC board 44 is configured with a handleposition sensor 46 (beneath magnet ring 36) and a grip position sensor48 (beneath magnet ring 38) that sense the rotational position ofmagnets 50, 52 in the magnet rings 36, 38. In the embodiment of acontrol assembly 20 shown in FIGS. 5A to 6, the position of the magnets50, 52 sensed by the handle position sensor 46 and the grip positionsensor 48, respectively correspond to the position of the handle 27 andgrip 29.

Referring to FIG. 6, the control mechanism 20 includes a handle motor 40arranged to move the outer shaft 28 and handle 27, and a grip motor 42arranged to move the inner shaft 30 and grip 29. The handle motor 40provides resistance to movement of the outer shaft 28 when the handlemotor 40 is in an off state and can move the outer shaft 28 and thefirst magnet ring 36 when power is applied to the handle motor 40 by themicrocontroller 45. The grip motor 42 provides resistance to movement ofthe inner shaft 30 when it is in an off state and can move the innershaft 28 and the second magnet ring 38 when power is applied to the gripmotor 42 by the microcontroller 45. The resistance to movement of thehandle 27 and grip 29 provided by the handle motor 40 and the grip motor42 may simulate the resistance to movement produced by friction andweight of the spotlight in the prior art mechanical control assembly.

In the depicted embodiment, the handle sensor 46 and grip sensor 48detect the position of first and second magnets 50, 52 that rotate withthe first magnet ring 36 and the second magnet ring 38, respectively.The handle sensor 46 and grip sensor 48 and handle motor 40 and gripmotor 42 are operatively connected to the microcontroller 45 (depictedin FIG. 4) on the control assembly PC board 44. The microcontroller 45interprets handle and grip position data from the handle sensor 46 andgrip sensor 48, respectively, and generates spotlight control signalsthat are delivered to the spotlight assembly 60 through the wired orwireless connection 54. The microcontroller 45 may store the positiondata and spotlight control signals in memory for later reference. Thedisclosed control assembly 20 allows the microcontroller 45 to operatethe handle motor 40 and grip motor 42 to move the outer shaft 28 andinner shaft 30 as needed to return the control interface 21 to a “home”or starting position, or to align the position of the control interface21 (handle 27 and grip 29) with the position of the spotlight assembly60 as will be discussed below.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a spotlightassembly 60 of the spotlight control system 10. The spotlight assembly60 includes a light source 68 mounted to a pivotable yoke 66, which ismounted to a rotatable support 62. In the depicted embodiment, the lightsource 68 comprises a group of light generators 64 (e.g., LED lightassemblies) that together generate a beam of light that can be aimed byrotating the support 62 and pivoting the yoke 66. The yoke 66 and lightsource 68 rotate (pivot) together around a spotlight tilt axis 76 andthe support 62 rotates about a spotlight pan axis 74. As shown in FIG.8, the disclosed spotlight assembly 60 includes a base 61 that is fixedto a vehicle surface or bracket (not shown) and a turntable 63 arrangedto rotate about axis 74 relative to the base 61. The support 62 isomitted from FIG. 8 for clarity. The support 62 is mounted to theturntable 63 and projects upwardly to provide the apertures or mountingpoints for receiving the yoke 66. A center gear 70 is fixedly connectedto the base 61 and does not rotate relative to the base 61. The centergear 70 is surrounded by the turntable 63, and the turntable 63 is freeto rotate relative to the center gear 70 and the base 61. A pan motor 80includes a drive gear 81 engaged with the teeth of the center gear 70.Application of power to the pan motor 80 causes the turntable 63,support 62, yoke 66 and light source 68 to rotate about the pan axis 74.The pan motor 80 is a reversible motor that can drive the spotlightassembly 60 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

As shown in FIG. 8, the yoke 66 is supported on a shaft 67 that includesa gear 72. A tilt motor 78 includes a drive gear 79 engaged with theteeth of the gear 72. Application of power to the tilt motor 78 pivotsthe yoke 66 and light source 68 about the tilt axis 76. The tilt motor78 is a reversible motor that can pivot the yoke and light source 68either direction about the tilt axis 76.

When discussing embodiments of the disclosed spotlight assemblies, theterm “pan” is used to refer to rotation of the spotlight in a left-rightdirection about a vertical axis (such as spotlight pan axis 74), whilethe term “tilt” is used to refer to movement of the spotlight in anup-down direction about a horizontal axis (such as spotlight tilt axis76). When the spotlight assembly is not mounted to a horizontal surface,the axes of rotation of the spotlight will not be vertical andhorizontal. A programmable transfer function in the control assemblymicrocontroller 45 and/or the spotlight microcontroller 91 may be usedto correct for the difference between the actual orientation of thespotlight axes of rotation and the vertical and horizontal directions.

Referring to FIG. 4, the spotlight PC board 90 includes the spotlightmicrocontroller 91, support sensor 88, and yoke sensor 86. The supportsensor 88, yoke sensor 86, pan motor 80, and tilt motor 78 areoperatively connected to the spotlight microcontroller 91. Movement ofthe turntable 63 and support 62 around the spotlight pan axis 74 andpivoting of the yoke 66 and light source 68 around the spotlight tiltaxis 76 are detected by support sensor 88 and yoke sensor 86,respectively. The support sensor 88 and yoke sensor 86 may be magneticsensors that detect the position of magnets carried by magnet ringsarranged to move with the support 62 and yoke 66, respectively, and mayfunction as described with respect to the control assembly handle sensor46 and grip sensor 48. The spotlight microcontroller 91 interprets thismovement data and generates spotlight position signals corresponding tothe rotational (pan) and pivot (tilt) position of the spotlight assembly60. The spotlight microcontroller 91 may store the movement data andspotlight position signals in memory. The spotlight microcontroller 91activates pan motor 80 and tilt motor 78 to move the support 62 and/oryoke 66 in response to spotlight control signals from the controlassembly 20. The support 62 and yoke 66 are mechanically linked to thepan motor 80 and tilt motor 78, respectively, which results inresistance to movement if the spotlight itself is grasped and moved by auser.

The control assembly microcontroller 45 communicates with the spotlightmicrocontroller 91 through a wired or wireless connection 54. Themicrocontroller 45 sends spotlight control signals to the spotlightmicrocontroller 91 to activate the pan motor 80 and tilt motor 78 tomove the light source 68 to point in a desired direction in response touser manipulation of the control interface handle 27 and grip 29. Thespotlight microcontroller 91 may also send spotlight position signals tothe control assembly microcontroller 45 to activate the handle motor 40and grip motor 42. The microcontrollers 45, 91 can be programmed tocoordinate the positions of the control interface 21 with the positionof the support 62 and yoke 66. For example, if a user grasps and movesthe spotlight directly, the position of the spotlight can be reported tothe control assembly microcontroller 45, which can be programmed toactivate the handle motor 40 and grip motor 42 to move the handle 27 andgrip 29 to positions corresponding to the position of the spotlight.This is an example of bi-directional control between the controlassembly 20 and spotlight assembly 60.

A computer program executed by the control assembly microcontroller 45translates movement of the outer shaft 28 and inner shaft 30 intospotlight control signals which are sent to the spotlight assembly 60via the wired or wireless connection 54. The executable program coderunning in the control assembly microcontroller 45 and/or spotlightmicrocontroller 91 can include a transfer function to convert movementof the outer shaft 28 and inner shaft 30 to spotlight movement thatduplicates the complex relationship between the mechanical userinterface and the direction of the spotlight of the prior art mechanicalspotlight, which is described above. Alternatively, the transferfunction may translate rotation of one shaft to spotlight movement aboutone axis and rotation of the other shaft may be translated to spotlightmovement about the other axis. For example, the movement of the outershaft can be programmed to control left-right movement of the spotlightabout a “pan” axis 74 and movement of the inner shaft 30 can beprogrammed to control up-down movement of the spotlight about a “tilt”axis 76. A programmable transfer function according to aspects of thedisclosure permits the relationship of movements at the user interface21 to movement of the spotlight 60 to be changed without alteration ofany mechanical parts of the control assembly 20 or the spotlightassembly 60.

The control assembly 20 and spotlight assembly 60 may be configured toretain a pre-determined position of the control interface 21 to thedirection of the spotlight when the spotlight control system 10 is in an“on” state. In one embodiment, the control assembly microcontroller 45stores the position of the handle 27 and grip 29 in memory, and thespotlight microcontroller 91 stores the rotational and tilt position ofthe light source 68 in memory. When the spotlight control system 10 isin an “off” state, the user interface 21 and spotlight assembly 60 areindependently moveable against the resistance of the motors. When thespotlight control system 10 is powered “on” from this state, the handlesensor 46 and grip sensor 48 measure the current positions of the handle27 and grip 29, and the support sensor 88 and yoke sensor 86 measure thecurrent positions of the support 62 and yoke 66, respectively. Thecontrol assembly microcontroller 45 and spotlight microcontroller 91 mayreturn the handle 27, grip 29, support 62, and yoke 66 to their storedpositions using the handle motor 40, grip motor 42, pan motor 80, andtilt motor 78. In some embodiments it may be most efficient to moveeither the handle 27 and grip 29 or the support 62 and yoke 66,whichever set moved from the stored position the least.

FIG. 9 is a representative block diagram of another disclosed spotlightcontrol system 120 and associated spotlight assembly 460. The left-handportion of FIG. 9 depicts another embodiment of spotlight control system110 in which the control assembly 120 only has a handle motor 140. Inthe depicted embodiment, the outer shaft 128 is mechanically linked to ahandle motor 140 and the inner shaft 130 is not connected to a motor.The position of the outer shaft 128 and handle 27 is detected by handlesensor 146. This configuration allows the control assembly 120 to movethe outer shaft 128 and handle 27 to a “home” position, or to conformthe position of the handle 27 to the current or stored position of thespotlight assembly 460. The position of the inner shaft 130 (and grip29) is detected by the grip sensor 148. The position of the handle 27and grip 29 are reported to the control assembly microcontroller 145.The control assembly microcontroller 145 communicates with the spotlight60 via a wired or wireless connection 154. The position of the grip 29is less significant than that of the handle 27, since the grip 29rotates about axis 25, and the position of the grip 29 relative to theoperator is determined by the position of the handle 27. The userinterface can be returned to a “home” or other position by a singlemotor 140, because the rotational position of the grip 29 always appearsthe same to the operator.

It is also possible to have a passive control assembly with no motors.Handle motor 140 is shown surrounded by a dashed box in FIG. 9,indicating that this motor and its connection to the outer shaft 128 maybe omitted. Without motors, the control assembly becomes “passive” inthat it can move only when manipulated by an operator, but otherwisefunctions in the same manner as controllers 20, 120. The feel of themechanical control interface can be simulated using friction, which alsoallows the control interface 21 to remain in a given position whenreleased by an operator, even in the absence of a motor and drivegear(s).

FIG. 10 depicts an embodiment in which a vehicle 100 is equipped withtwo spotlight assemblies 60 a, 60 b being directed by spotlight controlsignals generated by the control assembly 20, 120. The second spotlightassembly 60 b has a known position relative to the first spotlightassembly 60 a and the transfer function used by the control assembly 20,120 may modify the control signals to the second spotlight assembly 60 bto account for the difference in position between the two spotlightassemblies so that the light beams generated by the two spotlightassemblies are directed at the same target (point in space). In someembodiments, at least one of the spotlight assemblies includes adetector (e.g., photoelectric detector and/or laser detector) todetermine the distance (e.g., D1 or D2) or the target to facilitatedirecting the spotlight assemblies. Other configurations with more thantwo spotlight assemblies are contemplated.

FIGS. 11-14 depict another embodiment of a spotlight assembly 460 thatis similar in configuration and function to spotlight assembly 60 andwill be described in detail only with respect to areas where it differsfrom the previous embodiment. The spotlight assembly 460 includes alight source 468 mounted to a pivotable yoke 466, which is mounted to arotatable support 462. The light source 468 comprises a group of lightgenerators 464, e.g., LED lights on a board, that together generate abeam of light that can be aimed by rotating the support 462 and pivotingthe yoke 466. Spotlight assembly 460 includes clutches 482, 484 for thesupport 462 and the yoke 466. Both clutches 482, 484 include clutch padsthat are spring biased into frictional engagement with the support 462and the yoke 466, respectively. When a force is applied to the support462 or yoke 466 that enough to overcome the frictional engagement of theclutches 482, 484, the support 462 and yoke 466 are allowed to movewhile their respective driven gears 470, 472 remain meshed with motordrive gears 481, 479. The inclusion of the clutches 482, 484 provides amechanism to prevent forces applied directly to the spotlight 460 fromdamaging the drive mechanisms. In this instance, the force generated bythe user overcomes the friction of the clutches 482, 484 and the clutchparts slip relative to each other to prevent damage to the gears and/ormotors.

In the depicted embodiment, support driven gear 470 is split intoaxially spaced support driven gear 470 a that is connected to the fixedbase 426 of the spotlight by clutch 482 and magnet drive gear 470 b thatis directly mounted to the base 426 in a rotationally fixed position(see FIG. 13). Magnet drive gear 470 b is meshed with magnet driven gear496 that supports magnet 492. Magnet driven gear 496 will rotate themagnet 492 whenever there is relative movement between the support 462and the base 426, even when support driven gear 470 a can slip relativeto the support 462. Yoke magnet 494 is directly coupled to the yoke 466and rotates with the yoke 466 even when the yoke driven gear 472 canslip relative to the yoke 466. This arrangement protects the pan andtilt drive trains of the spotlight assembly 460, while maintaining theaccuracy of the pan and tilt position reported to the spotlightcontroller.

The right half of FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of the spotlightassembly 460, showing basic relationships between functional units ofthe spotlight assembly 460. As shown in FIG. 9, the mechanicalconnection between the support 462 and the support motor 480 includesclutch 482, while the mechanical connection between the yoke 466 and theyoke motor 478 includes clutch 484. The spotlight PC board 490 includesthe spotlight microcontroller 491 and the support sensor 488 as well asthe yoke sensor 486. The relationship between the support 462 andsupport sensor 488 is maintained, even when the clutch 482 slips. Therelationship between the yoke 466 and the yoke sensor 486 is maintained,even when the clutch 484 slips.

FIGS. 15-19 depict embodiments of a control assembly 220 according toaspects of the disclosure. Referring to FIG. 15, a housing 222 enclosesthe interior elements of the control assembly 220 and provides supportfor a handle 224. The design of the control assembly 220 provides acompact and intuitive control device for exterior spotlights. The designof the control assembly 220 minimizes the part count while also reducingthe number of conductors attached to moving parts. Control assembly 220is “passive” in that it does not include motors and moves only whenmanipulated by a user. It is possible to equip the control assembly 220of FIGS. 15-19 with motors to achieve bi-directional control of thespotlight and control interface as described above with respect tocontrol assembly 20 and spotlight 60.

Both the housing 222 and the handle 224 rotate about a controller firstaxis 212 relative to a base 226 that is mounted to a surface within thevehicle. The controller first axis 212 may correspond to the left-right(pan) direction of the spotlight. In the depicted embodiment, fourtongues 228 project from the base 226 to engage a circumferential lip230 of the housing 222. This tongue 228 and lip 230 connection allowscontinuous 360° rotation of the housing 222 and handle 224 about thecontroller first axis 212. As will be described in greater detail below,the structure of the other elements of control assembly 220 allowcontinuous 360° rotation of the housing 222 relative to the base 226,which eliminates the need to counter-rotate the housing 222 to reach astarting or “home” position. The housing 222 supports pivot points forthe handle 224, which may include bearings 235 and a hub or shaft 232 asshown in FIGS. 16 and 17. The handle 224 pivots around a controllersecond axis 214, which may correspond to the up-down (tilt) direction ofthe spotlight. The control assembly 220 is intuitive in that rotationabout the controller first axis 212 may correspond to rotationalmovement of a spotlight about a pan axis 74, and pivoting movement ofthe handle 224 about the controller second axis 214 may correspond tomovement of the spotlight about a tilt axis 76. Forces from a userapplied to the control assembly 220 result in housing movement about thecontroller first axis 212 and handle movement about the controllersecond axis 214 that correspond to desired spotlight movement about thespotlight pan and tilt axes 74, 76.

In the control assembly 220 of FIGS. 15-19, the housing 222 is supportedby the peripheral lip 230 and a glide ring 236 surrounding theconductors 231 and controller first axis 212. The lip 230 engaged undertongues 228 allows rotational movement of the housing 222 relative tothe base 226 about the controller first axis 212, while restrictingother movement of the housing 222 relative to the base 226. The glidering 236 provides additional support for the housing at the center ofthe control assembly 220. Conductors 231 secured to the control assemblyPC board 244 pass through the hollow center of the glide ring 236 to theslip ring 234 and ultimately exit through a central aperture in the base226.

The interior components of one embodiment of a control assembly 220according to aspects of the disclosure are depicted in FIGS. 16-19. Inthis embodiment of a control assembly 220, the housing 222 supports acontrol assembly PC board 244, components to detect the rotationalposition of the housing 222 relative to the base 226 and components todetermine the position of the handle 224 relative to the housing 222.The rotational position of the housing 222 relative to the base 226 maybe used to generate a pan control signal to the spotlight, while theposition of the handle 224 relative to the housing 222 may be used togenerate a tilt control signal to the spotlight. A slip ring assembly234 provides electrical continuity from conductors 231 connecting thecontrol assembly 220 to power and other components of the system. Theslip ring assembly 234 includes a part that is mounted in fixed relationto the base 226 and a rotating part that moves with the housing 222. Theslip ring 234 provides electrical continuity between the fixed androtating parts of the control assembly 220, while minimizing twisting orbending of the conductors 231 that move with the housing 222. Thecontrol assembly 220 configuration of FIGS. 15-19 eliminates anyconnection between a conductor and a moving component other than theconductors 231 passing through the slip ring 234.

The handle 224 is configured for grasping with one hand of an operatorand is used to apply rotational force to the housing 222, and pivotingforce to change the position of the handle 224 relative to the housing222. The handle 224 rotates about a hub or shaft 232 that is retained inhandle bearings 235 supported in the housing 222. The shaft 232 andbearings 235 are centered on the controller second axis 214. In thecontrol assembly 220 of FIGS. 15-19, only a single control assembly PCboard 244 is necessary. The controller PC board 244 is mounted to thehousing 222 generally parallel to the base 226 and has a handle sensor246 arranged to detect the position of the handle 224 relative to thehousing 222. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 15-19, the handlesensor 246 is a rheostat, the resistance of which varies with theposition of the handle 224 relative to the housing 222. As shown in FIG.19, the control assembly 220 includes a housing sensor 248 arranged todetect the position of the housing 222 relative to the base 226 as thehousing 222 is rotated about the controller first axis 212. Amicrocontroller 245 on the control assembly PC board 244 is programmedto interpret the position data from the handle sensor 246 and housingsensor 248 and generate control signals used to direct movement of aspotlight 60. The microcontroller 245 sends these control signals out ofthe control assembly 220 through conductors 231 via the slip ring 234.The slip ring 234 ensures that the wiring 231 connected to thecontroller board 244 is not twisted or subjected to other off-axisforces during operation of the control assembly 220 and allows forcontinuous 360° rotation of the housing 222 relative to the base 226.

The relationship between movement of the housing 222 about thecontroller first axis 212 and movement of the handle 224 about thecontroller second axis 214 generated by user inputs and the direction ofa spotlight 60 is determined by firmware running on the control assemblymicrocontroller 245 and/or the spotlight microcontroller. Therelationship may be a one-to-one correspondence, meaning that therotation of the housing 222 about the controller first axis 212 producesproportional left-right (pan) movement of the spotlight 60 and therotation of the handle 224 about the controller second axis 214 producesproportional up-down (tilt) movement of the spotlight 60. Therelationship may also be indirect, with rotational changes at thecontrol assembly 220 resulting in larger or smaller movements of thespotlight 60 about its pan axis 74 and tilt axis 76. The relationshipbetween user inputs at the control assembly 220 and spotlight movementmay differ depending upon the configuration of the spotlight.

Referring to FIGS. 16-19, the control assembly PC board 244 is mountedto the housing 222 and moves with the housing 222. A first gear 238 ismounted in a fixed position to the base 226 and does not rotate relativeto the base 226. A bracket 252 supports a second gear 250 arranged tomesh with the first gear 238 and rotate about a spindle 254 as thehousing 222 is rotated about the controller first axis 212 relative tothe base 226. A magnet 256 is mounted to rotate with the second gear250, and the position of the magnet 256 is detected by the housingsensor 248, which provides input signals to the microcontroller 245. Thehousing sensor 248 is mounted to the controller PC board 244. Thehousing 222, controller PC board 244, bracket 252 and second gear 250rotate together relative to the fixed base 226.

The housing 222 is symmetrical and is allowed to rotate continuouslyabout the first axis 212, so it may be difficult for a user to determinethe correct starting position for the controller housing 222, whichdetermines the direction of movement of the handle 224 about thecontroller second axis 214. It will be apparent that movement of thehandle 224 relative to the housing 222 will be reversed when the housing222 is facing away from the user, as opposed to when the housing 222 isfacing toward the user. As an aid in determining the orientation of thehousing 222, a light pipe 258 is arranged on one side of the housing222. The light pipe 258 is arranged to conduct light from one or moreLEDs 259 on the control assembly PC board 244 to the exterior of thehousing 222. The LEDs 259 may be two or more LEDs, each of whichgenerates a single color, or may be a single LED capable of generatingat least two different colors. When the control assembly 220 isreceiving inputs from a user, the control assembly microcontroller 245generates spotlight control signals that are received by amicrocontroller 91 in the spotlight 60, which uses the pan and tiltcontrol signals to drive spotlight pan motor 80 and tilt motor 78 tomatch the spotlight 60 direction to the position of the control assembly220 according to a programmed transfer function. It is common forpersonnel to manually change the position of the spotlight 60 bygrasping the spotlight and moving it when the personnel are outside thevehicle. In this case, the position of the spotlight 60 will no longercorrespond to the position of the control assembly 220.

According to aspects of the disclosure, a light pipe 258 is mounted inan opening in the housing 222, as shown in FIG. 15. The light pipe 258penetrates the housing 222 and transmits light generated by the one ormore LEDs 259 (depicted in FIG. 19) on the control assembly PC board244, making light from the LEDs 259 visible to a user. The light pipe258 differentiates the front and back of the housing 222 and the colorof light generated by the one or more LEDs 259 may indicate whether theposition of the control assembly 220 and the spotlight 60 are properlyaligned with one another. If the positions of the control assembly 220and the spotlight match, they are in an aligned state and the light pipe258 illuminates a first color, which may be blue. If the positions ofthe control assembly 220 and the spotlight do not match, the light pipe258 illuminates a second color, which may be red. In the disclosedembodiment, the respective control assembly microcontroller 245 and thespotlight microcontroller 91 may be programmed to bring the spotlight 60into alignment with the position corresponding to the position of thecontrol assembly 220 when the user provides an input at the controlassembly 220. Initiation of movement at the control assembly 220 may“wake up” the spotlight 60, and the system may be programmed to bringthe spotlight 60 into alignment with the position of the controlassembly 220, with the spotlight 60 and control assembly 220 moving incoordinated fashion.

FIGS. 20-23 depict a third embodiment of a control assembly 320. Thisembodiment of a control assembly 320 is similar in structure andfunction to the control assembly 220 of FIGS. 15-19 and will bedescribed in detail only with respect to areas where the controlassembly 320 differs from control assembly 220. Referring to FIG. 20,the housing 322 includes a lip 330 that engages four tongues 328 thatproject from the base 326. The tongues 328 alternate with arcuate wallsegments 329 around the circumference of the base 326 to surround thelip 330 and control movement of the housing 322 relative to the base326. The base 326 provides a connection with the housing 322 thatpermits rotation about axis 312 but prevents off axis movement of thehousing 322 relative to the base 326. With reference to FIG. 23, thecenter of the housing 322 is not supported by a glide ring, such as 236shown in FIG. 19. A light pipe 358 is mounted to a top surface of thehousing 322. The light pipe 358 is positioned for ease of visibility andhas an orientation to transmit light from LEDs 359 (depicted in FIG. 22)on the top surface of the control assembly PC board 344.

FIG. 22 depicts a cross-sectional view of the control assembly 320 at aplane including the controller first axis 312 and the controller secondaxis 314. The handle 324 engages a pair of hubs 333. The hubs 333 definethe pivot point about which the handle 324 rotates and transmit movementof the handle 324 into the interior of the housing 322. The hubs 333 aresupported by bearings 335 mounted in the housing 322. A magnet 325 isattached to one of the hubs 333, as shown in FIG. 22, and is rotatedabout the controller second axis 314 by the handle 324. A handle sensor346 is supported on a sensor support board 360, which is perpendicularto the control assembly PC board 344. The sensor support board 360supports the handle sensor 346 adjacent the magnet 325 attached to thehandle 324 (described in detail below). The depicted sensor supportboard 360 is secured by a bracket 361 and may have flexible conductorselectrically connecting the handle sensor 346 to the control assembly PCboard 344. The handle sensor 346 measures the position of the handlerelative to the housing 322 and generates position data for use by thecontrol assembly microcontroller 345. Position data from the housingsensor 348 and the handle sensor 346 are used by the control assemblymicrocontroller 345 to generate control signals that are transmitted tothe spotlight 60 through conductors 331 and a wired or wirelessconnection.

FIG. 23 provides additional detail regarding the internal structure ofthe control assembly 320 and the manner in which the control assembly PCboard 344, gear support bracket 352 and second gear 350 are mounted toand supported by the housing 322. Fasteners 362 engage screw bosses 364in the housing 322 to mount the control assembly PC board 344 to thehousing 322. Bracket fasteners 366 engage screw bosses 368 to secure thegear support bracket 352 to the inside of the housing 322. The internalcomponents of the control assembly 220 are mounted within the housing222 in a similar manner. FIG. 24 depicts another cross-sectional view ofa control assembly 320 at a plane including the controller first axis312 and the controller second axis 314.

FIG. 25 depicts a fourth embodiment of a control assembly 420. Thisembodiment of a control assembly 420 is similar in structure andfunction to control assemblies 220, 320 and will be described in detailonly with respect to areas where the control assembly 420 differs fromthe previous embodiments. Referring to FIG. 25, two O-rings 437 aretrapped between the housing 422 and the handle 424, surrounding each hub433 and bearing 435. The O-rings 437 provide friction during rotation ofthe handle 424 about the controller second axis 414. A wave spring 439is included between the base 426 and the housing 422. The wave spring439 provides friction during rotation of the housing 422 about thecontroller first axis 412. The friction caused by the O-rings 437 andwave spring 439 provides the user with a tactile feel when moving thecontrol assembly 420 that mimics the feel of the prior art L-shapedhandle mechanism discussed above. The friction is also sufficient toretain the handle 424 and base 426 in position when the user stopsmoving the control assembly 420.

FIG. 26 illustrates an alternative base 526 for a disclosed controlassembly 220, 320, 420, where the periphery of the base 526 incorporatesthree tongues 528 alternating with three arcuate wall segments 529.Magnet drive gear 470 b is illustrated in fixed position relative to thebase 526. The tongues 528 are 120° apart and separated by arcuate wallsegments 529 arranged to guide rotational movement of the supportrelative to the base 526, which is mounted in fixed position relative toa vehicle (not shown).

FIGS. 27-30 illustrate a control panel incorporating a control assemblyin various stages of disassembly. Control panel 2801 incorporatescontrol assembly 320 therein. Control assembly 220 could also beincorporated in a similar manner. Control assembly 320 includes handle324, housing 322, base 326, and an optional mounting assembly 2803.

Control assembly 320 is connected to circuit board 3001 included withincontrol panel 2801. A control panel processor 3002 is connected toprocessor 345 of control assembly 320 to communicate control commandsfrom control assembly 320 to control panel 2801. One or more switches2802 can be included in control panel 2801.

Switches 2802 can be programmed to provide functions such as on/off,automatic scanning functions, not-in-use spotlight positioning,flood/spot adjustment, calibration commands, etc. For example, whennot-in-use is activated, processor 3002 can send a signal to spotlight60/460 processor 91/491 to pan away from front and tilt down. Also,processor 3002 can generate control signals for a preset scanningpattern and send those control signals to processor 91/491 to producethe scanning pattern at the spotlight 60/460. In another embodiment,processor 91/491 can generate the control signals for the presetscanning pattern to produce the scanning pattern at the spotlight 60/460itself. Other programmable functions or features are contemplated.

Other components including visual and/or audible devices such as lightsand speakers can be included in the control panel 2801 to provide visualand/or audible feedback to the user.

FIG. 31 is a block diagram illustrating control panel 2801. As shown,control panel 2801 includes processor 3002 and control assembly 320 andcan include the one or more switches 2802. Processor 345 communicateswith processor 3002 to provide control signals for pan and tiltoperations of spotlight 60/460. Processor 3002 sends the control signalsto processor 91/491 in spotlight 60/460 to control positioning motorsaccordingly.

FIG. 32 is a control diagram illustrating the operation of the pan ortilt functions of the spotlight control system. FIG. 32 represents acontrol diagram for one axis, i.e. pan or tilt, and the circuit isduplicated to provide control for the other.

The operation of the spotlight control systems and methods andspotlights employing the same will now be described.

As handle (paddle) 324 is tilted and/or rotated, an absolute positionsensor (described herein above as the magnetic sensor system) detectsthe handle 324 movement and outputs absolute position signals. Thisabsolute position signal is sent from processor 345 to processor 3002.Processor 3002 performs a position offset calculation based on theabsolute position signals to generate a requested position signal. Therequested position signal is sent from processor 3002 to processor91/491 in spotlight 60/460.

Processor 91/491 receives the requested position signal and outputs avoltage to operate the corresponding pan or tilt motor thus moving thespotlight 60/460 via the gear assembly. The absolute position sensor(described herein above as the magnetic sensor system) in the spotlight60/460 outputs a measured position of the spotlight 60/460. Thismeasured position signal is fed back and processed with the requestedposition to determine an error representing the difference between therequested position and the measured position. The error signal isprocessed by processor 91/491 to continue supplying a voltage to movethe spotlight 60/460 until the error is zero. A margin of error of ±2.5degrees is permitted to prevent unnecessary and constant movement of thespotlight during the error correction process; different margins oferror can be programmed depending on the needs and accuracy of thesystem.

The disclosure also relates to methods of coordinating the position andmovement of a control interface with the position and movement of aspotlight. Control assemblies are configured to sense the position ofthe components of a control interface and generate position signalscorresponding to the position of components of the control interface.Control assemblies may be configured with one or more motors arranged tomove the components of the control interface. A control assemblymicrocontroller may be programmed to generate a spotlight control signalbased on the position of the components of the control interface. Thecontrol assembly microcontroller transmits the spotlight control signalto the spotlight via a wired or wireless connection. The controlassembly microcontroller generates the spotlight control signal from thepositions of the components of the control interface according to aprogrammable transfer function. The transfer function can be modified toalter the relationship between movements at the control interface andthe resulting spotlight control signal.

Spotlight assemblies include a spotlight microcontroller programmed toreceive the spotlight control signal and activate motors to direct alight generator of the spotlight according to the spotlight controlsignal. The relationship between the spotlight control signal and thedirection of the spotlight is determined by the program executed by thespotlight microcontroller and can be varied by changes to theprogramming of the spotlight microcontroller. Spotlight assemblies areconfigured to sense the position of spotlight components that determinethe direction of light emission from the light generator supported bythe spotlight components. The spotlight assembly may be programmed touse the sensed position of spotlight components to generate a spotlightdirection signal, which may be transmitted to the control assembly via awired or wireless connection. Coordination between the control assemblyand spotlight may include bi-directional control in which the controlassembly microcontroller may be programmed to receive the spotlightdirection signal and activate one or more motors in the control assemblyto move at least one component of the user interface into a positioncorresponding to said spotlight direction signal. Bi-directional controlincludes the spotlight microcontroller responding to the spotlightcontrol signal to direct the light generator according to user inputs atthe control interface.

Examples of the processors referred to herein (whether referred to asmicrocontrollers, processors, or controllers), can be STMicroelectronicsprocessor model STM32F072CBU6 for the control panel, STM32F042F6P6 forthe control assembly, and STM32F303CBT6 for the spotlight. Otherprocessors can be used.

While a preferred embodiment has been set forth for purposes ofillustration, the foregoing description should not be deemed alimitation of the invention herein. Accordingly, various modifications,adaptations and alternatives may occur to one skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and scope of the claimedcoverage.

What is claimed is:
 1. A spotlight system, comprising: a controlassembly including: a base unit rotatable about a control pan axis, acontrol handle connected to the base unit and rotatable about a controltilt axis substantially perpendicular to the control pan axis, a baseunit position sensor to generate a control pan axis position signalbased on rotation of the base unit, and a control handle position sensorto generate a control tilt axis position signal based on rotation of thecontrol handle; a processor for receiving the control pan axis positionsignal and the control tilt axis position signal; and a spotlightassembly, remote from and in wired or wireless communication with saidcontrol assembly, including: a spotlight support rotatable about aspotlight pan axis, a fixed base receiving the spotlight support, ahousing including a light, the housing connected to the spotlightsupport and rotatable with respect to the spotlight support about aspotlight tilt axis substantially perpendicular to the spotlight panaxis, a pan motor for receiving from the processor a voltage signalbased on the control pan axis position signal and rotating the spotlightassembly about the spotlight pan axis; a tilt motor for receiving fromthe processor a voltage signal based on the control tilt axis positionsignal and rotating the housing about the spotlight tilt axis; and atleast one of a first clutch between the spotlight support and the panmotor, the first clutch permitting the spotlight support to rotaterelative to the fixed base independently of the pan motor, or a secondclutch between the housing and the tilt motor, the second clutchallowing the housing to rotate relative to the spotlight supportindependently of the tilt motor.
 2. The spotlight system of claim 1,further comprising a control panel including the control assemblyrotatably mounted thereon and at least one control button.
 3. Thespotlight system of claim 1, wherein the pan motor and the tilt motorreceive voltage signals wirelessly from the processor.
 4. The spotlightsystem of claim 1, wherein the light includes a plurality of lightemitting diodes.
 5. The spotlight system of claim 4, wherein the lightemits light with a beam shape adjustable between a spot beam and a floodbeam in response to a user input to said control assembly.
 6. Thespotlight system of claim 1, wherein rotation of the base unit about thecontrol pan axis rotates the spotlight assembly about the spot light panaxis in a one-to-one correspondence, and rotation of the control handleabout the control tilt axis rotates the spotlight assembly about thespot light tilt axis in a one-to-one correspondence.
 7. The spotlightsystem of claim 1, wherein the base unit of said control assembly iscontinuously rotatable 360 degrees about the control pan axis andwherein the spotlight support is continuously rotatable 360 degreesabout the spotlight pan axis.
 8. A spotlight system, comprising: acontrol assembly including: a base unit rotatable about a control panaxis, a control handle connected to the base unit and rotatable about acontrol tilt axis substantially perpendicular to the control pan axis, abase unit position sensor to generate a control pan axis position signalbased on rotation of the base unit, and a control handle position sensorto generate a control tilt axis position signal based on rotation of thecontrol handle; a processor for receiving the control pan axis positionsignal and the control tilt axis position signal; and a spotlightassembly including: a spotlight support rotatable about a spotlight panaxis, a housing including a light, the housing connected to thespotlight support and rotatable with respect to the spotlight supportabout a spotlight tilt axis substantially perpendicular to the spotlightpan axis, a pan motor for receiving from the processor a voltage signalbased on the control pan axis position signal and rotating the spotlightassembly about the spotlight pan axis; and a tilt motor for receivingfrom the processor a voltage signal based on the control tilt axisposition signal and rotating the housing about the spotlight tilt axis;and an error correction circuit for: receiving an actual pan axisposition signal representing the position of the spotlight assembly onthe pan axis; comparing the actual pan axis position signal with therequested pan axis position signal; generating an error signal based onthe comparison of the actual pan axis position signal with the requestedpan axis position signal; providing a voltage to a pan axis motor untilthe error signal is within a predetermined range.
 9. The spotlightsystem of claim 8, wherein the error correction circuit is further for:receiving an actual tilt axis position signal representing the positionof the housing on the tilt axis; comparing the actual tilt axis positionsignal with the requested tilt axis position signal; generating an errorsignal based on the comparison of the actual tilt axis position signalwith the requested tilt axis position signal; providing a voltage to atilt axis motor until the error signal is within a predetermined range.10. The spotlight assembly of claim 8, wherein the spotlight assembly isremote from and in wired or wireless communication with said controlassembly.
 11. The spotlight system of claim 8, wherein the light emitslight with a beam shape adjustable between a spot beam and a flood beamin response to a user input to said control assembly.
 12. The spotlightsystem of claim 8, wherein rotation of the base unit about the controlpan axis rotates the spotlight assembly about the spot light pan axis ina one-to-one correspondence, and rotation of the control handle aboutthe control tilt axis rotates the spotlight assembly about the spotlight tilt axis in a one-to-one correspondence.
 13. The spotlight systemof claim 8, wherein the base unit of said control assembly iscontinuously rotatable 360 degrees about the control pan axis and thespotlight support is continuously rotatable 360 degrees about thespotlight pan axis.
 14. A spotlight control method, comprising the stepsof: providing a control assembly having base unit and a control handleconnected to the base unit, the base unit rotatable about a first axisand the control handle rotatable about a second axis substantiallyperpendicular to the first axis; providing a spotlight assembly having aspotlight rotatable about a pan axis and a tilt axis substantiallyperpendicular to the pan axis; generating at least one of a requestedpan axis position signal by rotating the base unit about the first axisto rotate the spotlight about the pan axis or a requested tilt axisposition signal by rotating the control handle about the second axis torotate the spotlight about the tilt axis; receiving an actual axisposition signal representing the position of the spotlight on one of thepan axis or the tilt axis; comparing the actual axis position signalwith the requested pan axis position signal or the requested tilt axisposition signal; generating an error signal based on the comparison; andproviding a voltage to one of a pan axis motor or a tilt axis motoruntil the error signal is within a predetermined range.
 15. Thespotlight control method of claim 14, wherein the rotation of the baseunit about the first axis proportionally rotates the spotlight about thepan axis and rotation of the control handle about the second axisproportionally rotates the spotlight about the tilt axis.
 16. Thespotlight control method of claim 14, wherein the spotlight includes aplurality of light emitting diodes.
 17. The spotlight control method ofclaim 14, further comprising the step of adjusting a beam shape of lightemitted from the spotlight between a spot beam and a flood beam inresponse to a user input to the control assembly.
 18. The spotlightcontrol method of claim 14, wherein the spotlight assembly is mounted toan exterior of a vehicle and the control assembly is remote to thespotlight assembly.
 19. The spotlight control method of claim 14,wherein the spotlight is continuously rotatable 360 degrees about thepan axis.
 20. The spotlight control method of claim 19, wherein the baseunit of the control assembly is continuously rotatable 360 degrees aboutthe first axis.